Tuscaloosa Circuit Court Judge James Roberts Recuses From Charles Bediako Lawsuit

According to court documents received by Tide 100.9, Tuscaloosa Circuit Court Judge James Roberts has recused himself from the Charles Bediako NCAA eligibility case, as of Wednesday morning.

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"The Court has reviewed Defendant NCAA’s Motion for Recusal and Plaintiff Bediako’s Response. The Motion is hereby GRANTED. Judge May, next senior judge, will reassign," the document read.

Earlier in the week, the NCAA filed a motion asking Judge Roberts to recuse himself from  Bediako's lawsuit after it was revealed that Roberts was a six-figure donor to the University of Alabama via Reddit threads reported on by AL.com.

“The NCAA has faith in the judicial process and does not currently contend the Court has an actual bias, partiality, or prejudice,” the NCAA said in its filing. “Similarly, the NCAA does not allege that any actual bias motivated the Court’s granting of a temporary restraining order. Instead, the NCAA contends that proceeding in this Court has created an impermissible appearance of impropriety because of the intense media scrutiny and public speculation surrounding the Court’s relationship with the University of Alabama and its athletics programs and student-athletes.”

On Tuesday, Charles Bediako and his legal team filed a motion that they are unopposed to the request for Roberts to recuse himself from the case. Roberts's recusal came on Wednesday morning.

James Roberts is the only Tuscaloosa Circuit Court Judge who did not graduate from the University of Alabama, graduating with a law degree from Samford. Judge Allen W. May will reassign to one of the five other Circuit Court judges in Tuscaloosa.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.